“Zara, please don’t jump on the bed, you may accidentally fall on meimei.”
“Ask Kakak to put on your CD for you, mummy is feeding meimei, mummy don’t have free hands.”
“Zara, please be careful with your toys and don’t drop them, meimei is sleeping, she may get a fright.”

These are said so frequently at home these days; and Zara suddenly realises that mummy is not 100% hers and that she’s no longer the only one who gets all the attention in the house.

Zara started to demand for more attention. She insisted that I nap with her, and if I didn’t, she would cry. When she wakes up from her nap and doesn’t see me next to her, she will wail, and shout for me. At night, she wants to sleep with me on my bed, and wants me to have my arms around her when she goes to sleep. I have to lie down in such a manner that I can have my arm holding her and at the same time feed Zaria.

There were times when Zaria needs a feed, and Zara will just start making a fuss, “Mummy put meimei down! I want to sit on mummy’s lap! PUT MEIMEI DOWN!”
“Daddy carry meimei, MUMMY CARRY ZARA.”
“I want mummy carry Zara NOW!”

The other day, when we told her that Auntie (the CL) is going to go home next week, Zara added, “When auntie go(es) home, ask Auntie to bring meimei home also. Zara don’t want meimei.”

Daddy and I have to really try and split our time among the 2. Zara now is more vocal and demanding, and since Zaria is more easy going, she’ll just lie there waiting to be fed. We have to be careful not to give in to Zara’s demand too much that we’ll deprive Zaria of our attention.

Sigh. Parenting with 1 child is tough, with 2, sometimes I feel like tearing my hair out (and this is just the beginning)! I pray for patience every night, and that I be fair to both kids, not to the one who shouts the loudest.